Interview: Alena Matuch

Today we’re joined by Alena Matuch. Alena is a phenomenal writer and visual artist who enjoys writing fantasy, often taking inspiration from mythology. Aside from writing fiction, Alena also writes fanfiction and personal essays. She’s also an incredibly talented visual artist and considers illustration to be part of her writing process. She very obviously has a great amount of passion, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Hel

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m both a writer and an artist. I’m hugely interested in Fantasy and Mythology and how those forces are woven into how we see the world. Most of my work is fantastic or has some bizarre element that doesn’t fit in with how the world typically works. You can see some of my stuff on Tumblr and I also love to play around in fanfiction. I’m currently working on a novel about Norse Mythology from the point of view of a canonically genderfluid god.

As for my art, I work primarily in watercolors and ink. Arthur Rackham, Edward Gorey and Chris Riddell are huge influences on my illustrative style. I see my drawings as an extension of my writing. There’s something so special about seeing your characters standing before you with your own eyes, seeing how exactly it is that they move about their respective stories. Painting them helps me to see them more clearly as people and (hopefully) write them into better stories.

What inspires you?

Small things that very few people notice. A misplaced line of text, never explained, but important. I like the stories of people that were written out of history, whom the Arbiters of Good Taste decided were not worth the ink or time. I look for places, feelings, states of being that are largely unexplored and considered terrifying, until you know the lay of the land.

Lady Lucine Woolsey

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Most definitely! I was writing stories about my classmates in grade school and had a multi-chapter saga about an alien invasion from Mars by fifth grade. In kindergarten I convinced a friend that I had 100 kittens living in my home. He was extremely disappointed when he came over for my birthday party and could only find one.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I used to do a small doodle of the Cauldron of Inspiration next to my signature on works of art. It’s a common motif in Germanic and Celtic mythology representing fertility, birth and raw creative power. Maybe I should bring it back.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Listen to what your body is telling you. For the love of God, get up and take a walk once in a while. Don’t punish yourself for taking breaks. You need time to be a human being as well as an artist, to let your mind drift into things that aren’t related to what you’re working on. It is okay. And you’ll come back to work so much stronger than you were before.

Laenke

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I am a demi lesbian. I also identify as Butch.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

No. Of course, I’m not out about it at all.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

The biggest misconception I’ve ever run into was for the longest time my own. For almost my entire life I had no idea that there was a spectrum at all, that there was any such thing as demisexuality. I knew that I could and was getting along just fine without a partner. My sex drive was never something that had any bearing on my life. And yet, every once in a long while, I did feel something for someone else. So I couldn’t actually be ace, right? I stumbled over the definition of demisexuality by sheer accident in an offhand comment on the YouTube channel of my favorite sex educator and learned something about myself that day.

Taniale Prosthetic Leg

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

The single thing that helped me the absolute most in coming to grips with my orientation was this little comic that drifted across my feed one day. I have no idea who drew it or where it came from. I didn’t think to save it at the time, but the idea of it stuck in my mind, giving me peace and hope as I struggled to figure out who exactly I was.

In it, the protagonist is deeply questioning their orientation and visits an “Orientation Shelter” to figure it out. The proprietor kindly shows them around, gently easing their confusion. She unlocks the first door.

“Maybe you like men?” she asks, gesturing inside.

The room is filled with men of all shapes and sizes, kissing, embracing, gazing lovingly into each others’ eyes. The protagonist shakes their head, getting more irked by the minute by a question which they thought should have an easy answer.

The proprietor pats them on the back and says it’s okay. She unlocks the second door.

A room full of beautiful women. Romantic picnics, holding hands, lips locking.

The protagonist turns away in despair. They think there’s something wrong with them, that they’ll never find what they’re looking for. But there is one more door left to try.

The key turns in the lock and they step through the portal into a vast, open field, the sun gleaming on the swaying blades of grass. The land is filled with all kinds of people – artists, dreamers, athletes kicking a ball across the green, an astronomer gazing through a telescope. In that room there is represented every faucet of creativity that can be imagined, every color of sheer joy that has ever been painted.

I keep that image in my head when the thoughts that I am lacking in something come back to haunt me. I hold it in my heart and remember that this is who I am, that these are the things I love.

I am lacking in nothing and the entire world waits for me to bend it to my will.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

Check me out on Tumblr at Neriad13.Tumblr.com. The “My Art and “My Writing” tags are a very good place to start.

I also post fanfiction on Ao3 (http://archiveofourown.org/users/Neriad13/pseuds/Neriad13) and Fanfiction.net (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4296233/Neriad13) under the same handle.

I post art on Deviantart (http://neriad13.deviantart.com/), though I am falling a bit behind on that one.

Angrboða

Thank you, Alena, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Jenn Ocana

Today we’re joined by Jenn Ocana. Jenn is a phenomenal artist who dabbles in a couple different fields. She’s currently majoring in Communications, but has been doing quite a lot of writing. Jenn loves the written word and writes in quite a few different forms. She has recently had her first poem published in her school’s literary magazine. She has also recently gotten into cinematography and enjoys that as well. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I don’t think I’m at any level to where I could possibly be able to call myself an artist. However, I am trying to work towards making my hobbies writing, and content creating available for others to read/watch/listen. For the most part I write things journal entries on Wattpad (as well as previously writing some fanfiction), as well as fiction stories, poems and even speeches. Also at my college I am considered an audio and video engineer. I help record and produce podcast, PSAs, radio shows, as well as, do camera work and editing for music and promotional videos.

What inspires you?

Honestly, I’m not quite sure what inspires me. I would say I often find inspiration from other people and poets that I have much respect for and wish to emulate. I would also say a lot of my work inspired by my own life and past experiences whether that be family, health, or school related, or really anything I find that I could possibly share my own thoughts on.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I never really had the best life, some may say I was just given an awful hand of cards at birth. When I was younger, I became blind in one eye and since then, it always seemed like it was just one bad thing after another. When I started going to a small public school at around the age of 7, I immediately knew that I wasn’t going to fit in being the only child with skin darker than the color of notebook paper in my whole town. That was one of my first experiences with being excluded. Over the years, I’ve also had to deal with physical, mental, and emotional abuse whether that be at home or at school and because of it I’ve always felt alone and lost. That is when I’ve found myself beginning to be more drawn to writing, drawing and music. I don’t know if always wanted to be an artist, but I remember as a kid, one of the only teachers that I felt believed in me strongly encouraged me to continue with art, I disagreed because I’ve never thought I was good at it, or with anything for that matter. However, as I grew older, I noticed that I could never find interest in any other subject that we were required to take high school and somehow, I’ve always ended up coming back to writing.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I don’t think I have anything that is unique to my own work, for the most part, most of my work is done on a computer, but when it does come to my own signature I have a very specific way of signing things. Some people say it just looks like two likes and some squiggles but, I like it. As far as specific features, I guess that it would be that you can tell that I almost never write about things that tend to be happy. This does not mean that I don’t write about happy things, because I do. The reason to this is because I feel like not everyone knows what it’s like to be happy about something, or to express appreciation, or even have the feeling of being in love with someone. This could make it harder for a reader or listener to connect with my work on a personal and emotional level. However, everybody has been sad at some point in their life about something. So, by default, everyone knows that gut-wrenching feeling that I’m trying to express in my work and therefore can be able to relate and or sympathize with my characters as they can connect their own emotions with my work.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Do what you want and don’t let anyone stop you. Scared about what others may think? Go by a pen name. You are the only person that create make your thoughts into a reality, whether that be a story, a poem, a video game, a melody, anything you can possible want to create. You are the only one that can create it, so don’t let anything get in your way.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I wouldn’t know how to identify myself exactly but if I had to choose a term to go by, I would consider myself to be lithromantic (or akioromantic) asexual. I can have literally the absolute biggest crush on someone but if I find that they like e back the feelings immediately go away… its quite frustrating sometimes. However, I would say that I’m quite sex repulsed. If you touched me anywhere else besides to rub my back and maybe, just maybe, hold hand, the odds of me slapping the medulla out of your head be highly likely. Ha-ha, I’m just kdding but yeah, you get the idea lol.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Directed towards me? No. The people who I work with whether that be in my major in college, or when I work with the people in my school’s radio station/club are very open to others and diversity. This is probably due to the reputation my major and club has at our college, we welcome all with open arms.  However, the environment in the dorms is quite different. Some people think it’s just crazy thinking that it’s impossible to think that way. However, others some just seem to not be able to comprehend the idea. I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way, I was once involved in a conversation when my friends were discussing how someone’s girlfriend was asexual. They just didn’t know what that was supposed to mean and didn’t really know that it was a thing. They never really understood I, but they were overall respectful for that person.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

I really haven’t encountered much since I’m only open about my sexuality with two people. However, I have tried to tell my mother who is convinced it is only a phase and I’ll think differently when I’m older. Also, one thing that seems to be a misconception is that when I first told one of my friends, he thought I was lying because I had crushes on guys and always told him about them. He thought that because I was asexual, I was incapable of liking someone. Nevertheless, after explaining that it is possible he’s become more understanding, which is good. J

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

This is a hard one because I’m still not fully accepting of my own sexuality however, I’m becoming more self-aware of it every day. My biggest advice would be to not force yourself into doing anything you are not comfortable will doing. It could just make you feel more uncomfortable and even worse than you felt before. Writing is what works the best for me, I often would write about my experiences with trying to figure out why I don’t have that “butterfly feeling” when I kiss a guy and try writing may ways to find a solution to what I’m feeling. If you’re stressing yourself out about it step back and take a breath. Watch a movie, read a book, listen to music, do anything you feel that can take you mind away from the stressor. A big part for me in to trying to come to term with my orientation is trying to say it out loud. I know it could be hard and scary for some people. The first time I told someone I was asexual, I said it in a text message. Honestly, by doing that I felt like I was still trying to hide it from myself. If I were to be complete honest it wasn’t until just a week ago, that I said that I was asexual for the first time out-loud and it was in front of my school counselor. I may or may not have cried in the process. Even though doing this was probably the hardest and most terrifying thing I’ve ever done, the act of finally saying this out-loud has almost, in a way been a catalyst with my process of accepting myself. So, if you think you are ready you can do what I did and go to a school counselor, look at yourself in a mirror, or even just lay down on your bed and tell that to yourself, it can really be the push you need to accepting your orientation.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

I’m going to start posting a lot of my poetry on my Tumblr but if you want, you can find any of my work on almost all my social media accounts (Wattpad, Instagram, Twitter). The username is CupcakeJiley and it is spelled the same way on every site. I you are interested in checking out any of the podcast/interviews and music videos I help produce and create you can go to my colleges radio Sound Cloud (https://soundcloud.com/wkcv-lp-908850132) and YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp2mJoWoVZnNJ6Q3I3bCBdg). I’ve also considered making my own YouTube Page in which I talk about my work, interest, as well as sexuality. I haven’t decided quite yet but I’ll keep you posted.

Thank you, Jenn, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: cxxxxxxxx

Today we’re joined by cxxxxxxxx. cxxxxxxxx is an incredibly versatile artist who has dabbled in almost everything but has most recently focused on zines. She has a great love for art and it’s very apparent this love has transferred into making zines, which are fascinating. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

Lately I’ve been experimenting with a lot of stuff it feels like—poetry, fiction stories, nonfiction and more personal writing, drawing and painting with different kinds of pens and paints and pastels, making collages—but this summer I got into making and putting together zines and I can put all those things inside of a zine on a given topic, so I’ve been having a lot of fun writing and drawing for zines on dancing, creativity, my gender identity, romance stuff. I get stuck a lot when it comes to my art and writing but I’ve made a lot of things this year especially that I like to look back at now.

What inspires you?

I don’t follow a lot of artists but this semester I’ve been watching a lot of documentaries about Dada and the Beat Generation and learning about those movements and reading their writings/looking at their art/collages and I feel really inspired by these artists and writers that look at a given society and create art to oppose it and express their own views. I like to put on films about stuff like that or just political movements in general and spend the whole time sitting at my desk painting and drawing. Watching Stranger Things really inspired me to draw some cooler stuff, too.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid and started drawing my first year of high school because a lot of my friends were into it and I really kind of idolized them. I’ve always felt like I had a lot to say but I’m abysmal at talking to people, so I’ve always liked being able to express myself and my thoughts in writing; there’s something special about it, I think.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Not really, to be honest. I’ve never been really consistent with that sort of thing.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

I spent years drawing not because I enjoyed it but largely out of a desire to improve so that I could enjoy, and I don’t think that’s the right way to go about creating things. Make what you like, and if it doesn’t turn out how you wanted it to, find things about it that you like anyway. Draw because you like to draw, not for the sake of other people. Something like that.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as aromantic and asexual, although technically slightly gray-asexual is probably most accurate.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Not really? In everyday life a majority of people I knew up until college didn’t even know it existed (me being one of them for a long time, too). I’ve seen people make prejudiced comments online and expressed some of my anger about such comments in poems I’ve written about being ace.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

Mainly the one that I can’t be happy in the future without a partner, but I don’t think that’s true. I experience depression and anxiety frequently but dating someone/etc. wouldn’t change that, and I do feel happy and excited about enough things (poetry, history, playing guitar) that I don’t feel I’ll be missing something when I’m older. There are a lot of things I want to do someday and I don’t need another person to do them or in order to feel happy and fulfilled, I think.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

I have a tendency to over-think things of that nature and make myself anxious wondering how I’m supposed to look and be and identify, but my best friend advised me to try not to worry like that and just accept myself even without labels and I think she was right about that. For me, anyway, it’s easy to get caught up in anxiety when I don’t identify with any known labels for gender identity or sexual/romantic orientation, but lately I’ve just been trying to be the person I like being and feel comfortable being and I think maybe that’s helping. So I think I’d recommend trying that, just going with the flow of things and how you might feel.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My zines are online to read here.

Thank you, cxxxxxxxx, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Bobbi

Today we’re joined by Bobbi. Bobbi is a wonderful amateur photographer and a writer. She really enjoys light photography and has dabbled in art photography. For writing, Bobbi writes fiction that examines serious issues and heavy subject matter. She is obviously someone who really enjoys her art. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m an amateur photographer and unpublished writer. Really, I do most of my art for fun, although I did take a photography course at college. I enjoy light photography, although portraiture interests me as well, especially images of family.

My writing is fiction, although it deals with real life situations. I have written several plans and half finished novels about teenage angst, child abuse and drug use. These themes interest me on a psychological level, as I enjoy learning about what causes addiction or why child abuse occurs. I understand it is a very sensitive subject, and I aim to reflect this in my writing.

What inspires you?

I’ve been writing since I could pick up a pen. I have countless notebooks from my younger years filled with unfinished stories, plots, odd chapters and character development sheets. I have yet to finish anything, as I’ve always struggled with endings.

I have had a lot of inspiration for my work, as I was reading voraciously before I was writing. I adore JK Rowling, and I’ve recently developed a love for Patrick Ness.

My photography was an accidental discovery. I was actually studying German, but I found the classes too intimidating, so I switched to photography instead. I enjoy manipulating images to divert them from reality, for instance, I created a Disney Princess inspired piece for my final project.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I suppose my interest in photography stemmed from a hatred of German. To be honest, photography is, and always will be, a hobby of mine, although I don’t photograph as religiously as I write. Writing has always been second nature to me. Whenever I get a spare moment, I’m writing, whether it be about my day in real life, or random passages from a story I haven’t yet completed.

It was actually my mum that got me into reading and writing, although I have always wanted to be a writer. I enjoy creating new worlds to get lost in, through any medium, although my drawing skills are abysmal. Character development is probably my favourite part of writing, as I can create anyone I want, from personality to physical features. It allows me some control, of which I feel I am lacking in reality.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I don’t really have any sort of symbol, although I did play around with pseudonyms when I was younger. My favourite one was Elsie Mets. I’m not entirely sure why, but I liked the simplicity of it. It’s not a particularly fancy name, but it appealed to me.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

My advice would be, don’t procrastinate. Whatever medium you choose for your art, procrastination is definitely your enemy. Also, don’t give up halfway through, even if you’ve lost all motivation or passion for the subject, persevere, and you might surprise yourself.

And please don’t be shy about sharing your work. Honestly, even if someone doesn’t like it, a bad opinion is better than no opinion on your work at all. If nothing else, it will give you a fresh perspective, which is never a bad thing.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m still trying to figure myself out at the moment, but I would say I am asexual, and possibly aromantic. But, as I said, still trying to figure things out.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I haven’t actually told anyone about my orientation, as I’m not entirely sure myself. If I was being totally honest, I would say the only ignorance on asexuality I’ve had to face is my own. I also don’t believe my family or friendship group know what asexuality is.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

“Isn’t that a plant thing?” Seriously, yes plants are asexual, no it doesn’t mean the same thing!

Another misconception I’ve heard is that sex-repulsed aces should ‘have sex anyway’ to keep their partner happy, because it’s ‘the natural thing to do.’ I actually fell for that kind of pressure once, and god am I glad to be out of that situation.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

I don’t really feel qualified to answer this, as I’m still questioning everything, but if there is one thing I’ve learnt, it’s be honest with yourself. Don’t let prejudices and ‘social norm’ keep you from being who you are.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My work is not actually published anywhere, although I am hoping to rectify that, as long as people don’t mind unfinished work. I will finish it eventually! In the meantime, I have got a Destiel fan fic going at the moment on AO3. It’s my first fanfiction, but I think it’s okay so far. It’s called ‘This Is The Way You Left Me’ by bobledufromage. Here’s the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8089705

My photography, I am hoping, will be on my Tumblr soon; acesarehigh42.

Thank you, Bobbi, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Melinda Gillispie

Today we’re joined by Melinda Gillispie. Melinda is a phenomenally talented young writer who has been writing for quite some time. She specializes in original fiction and writes a lot of LGBTQIA+ characters, which is always great to see. She has a wonderful enthusiasm and love for the art of writing, as you’ll soon see. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’ve been writing in general for a long time. In elementary school, when we’d have to write a creative story, I’d always be the one with the best story. It was the same in middle school, and now high school. All of my stories have been original fiction or fan fiction, except for whenever we’re required to write autobiographies for class. My most popular story right now is one that I came up with at random several years ago and have been writing online since. It’s a fan fiction, but that’s not relevant. I have so many more stories planned out and characters being developed in my head at all times, so I make sure to write down ideas somewhere so I can remember it for when I have time to write it. I’m wanting to become a published author in the future, but on the off chance I don’t make much money in that field, I’m looking into majoring in something else in college when I get there.

What inspires you?

I’m honestly not sure. I get inspiration and ideas for stories at random; for example, I recently binge-read a book series about dragons and started creating my own fictional dragon world a few hours after. When I get inspired to write more for my current stories, it’s when I’ve been reading something similar or with the same general aspects (time travel, revolution, etc.) So I guess my inspiration would be other authors’ books and stories!

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

When I first started writing for something other than school assignments, it was when I had finished reading what was published of the Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter at the time. I was so excited, since cats have always been a part of my life. Erin Hunter’s writing was so similar to my own thought process that I based my own writing style off of hers. I started thinking of my own characters that I would personally place into the story, and it all kind of went from there. Actually I stopped being interested in it for a few years, surprisingly. During that time I decided I wanted to be an artist who painted and drew, but I’ve never been good at painting in general. I’ve always been better at painting mental pictures with words.

In 6th or 7th grade I started talking to people that I now consider some of my closest online friends, and they actually encouraged me to start writing (without knowing it, of course!) My first story was a complete disaster, to tell the truth. Nobody read it, the grammar was the worst, the storyline wasn’t well thought out… it was just horrible. The second was a bit better; I had about 200 readers, 15 of which had decided to follow the story and get notifications when I updated, and I got good feedback. Reading back on it now as a sophomore in high school… that story is cringe-worthy. I’m tempted to rewrite it completely.

I haven’t always wanted to write, but lately it’s been one of my biggest passions and one of my proudest accomplishments. Living with all of my insecurities, it’s nice being able to see how many people care for me and like my writing. It’s boosted my self-esteem a lot. I’d love to live my life as an author. Maybe not the #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, but I’d like to sell some of my books, you know?

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

The main characters in my stories are always LGBT in some way. In Golden Blood, the main character (based off of me) is super gay for her girlfriend (based off my own girlfriend.) In Stolen Time, the main character is openly aro/ace. I guess that’s kind of a feature I like to include in my stories.

In my stories I tend to focus more on the plot than the setting, which might just be bad writing on my part. I find myself neglecting to include how the environment (like the weather) would affect the storyline. The vocabulary doesn’t include hugely fancy words; I prefer to write using words I incorporate into everyday life so as not to confuse my readers.

I guess my writing style in general is unique in its own way. Everyone writes differently and has their own style, just like how everyone sees color slightly differently. We all see the world in our own special ways, so we interpret and portray our personal worlds in our own ways, as well.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

My advice would be “do what you love best.” If you love writing but aren’t good at spelling, go ahead, write anyway! If you want to get better with spelling, just look up how to spell certain words online. Also, I’m sure if you write online, your readers would gladly help you out. Nobody can do what you can do except yourself. So do what you want, in your own way! If you want to write fan fiction, go for it. If you want to draw silly comics, have fun! It’s your life. Make the best of it.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as panromantic asexual. I do lean more towards females but that’s just a personal preference.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Well, I’ve definitely encountered lots of rude people who made fun of me, said I wasn’t valid, said “hey if we stuff her in a room with romantic music and candles, will she emerge with a clone?” and other degrading things. But with writing, not so much. I’m a digital writer, so all of my works are online, and people have yet to shove their ignorance on me when it comes to asexuality. Of course, someone once said I’d go to hell for writing a story with gay characters but that’s not ace prejudice, it’s just LGBT prejudice.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

Definitely the misconception that we are all plants and reproduce on our own. In biology class sometimes people point to pictures of cells going through mitosis and say “hey, look! It’s Melinda,” which hurts but I’ve learned to roll with it. I used to get more easily offended but now I joke about it too. Yes, I reproduce on my own and my clone army is coming for you. Beware.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Do what you feel is best for you. If you think coming out would put you in danger, stay closeted until you feel safe to come out. If you’re not sure, that’s fine! Questioning things about yourself isn’t a sin. If you feel you desperately need a label, just look up the different sexualities and genders and figure it out. If you think you’re ace, identify as ace! Your identity can change over time, there’s no harm in that. I used to think I was straight. Then bisexual. Then pansexual. Then panromantic asexual. I feel most at home with this label, but I could figure out more about sexualities and change it in time. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you!! You’re valid no matter what.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

You can go to my Quotev, where I write most often. I also have a story up full of photos of art I made in art class with other fun mediums. Most of my stories aren’t even published or made yet, so you don’t have many to read, but that’s fine. I’m getting better at updating often and not completely abandoning stories. My Quotev URL is at MellyMelon, and the username is Goldenflight. If you want to follow my Tumblr too, it’s at golden-melon. I usually spam post memes on Tumblr but I also post writing prompts and other stuff that has to do with art. My girlfriend is also an asexual artist. She’ll be submitting her interview sooner or later. We’re gay and it’s cute and she’s cute and I love her. She’s Haylee Scribner, so if you see hers, you should follow her accounts too! ❤

Thank you, Melinda, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Emma

Today we’re joined by Emma. Emma is a phenomenal and versatile artist who hasn’t met a medium she doesn’t like. She does a lot of writing, fiction and poetry. When she’s not writing, she enjoys working with makeup. She has an enormous amount of passion for what she does and that makes for a great interview, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I dabble in many things! Fiction writing, knitting, photography, but two that stick out the most are poetry/song writing and makeup.  I love smearing things on my face and becoming the art or weaving words into something that someone will love to listen to.

What inspires you?

Nature does.  I love incorporating the color of the leaves into a beautiful eyeshadow look or put them into words on a page.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve always had a knack for putting some words onto paper, and all the reading I did as a kit really helped with that.  As for cosmetics, one day my mom gave me a bag of all her old makeup to play with, and thus my obsession started,

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

My style generally fluctuates, it’s not consistent enough for me to have a signature style.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Write, even if you hate what you put on your face.  Keep doing makeup, even if your eyeliner is uneven every time.  Keep taking pictures when they’re blurry.  When you finally take that perfect photo or your eyeshadow is blended to perfection, it makes all the practice worth it.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I am asexual and aromantic.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

My sexuality is something that I try to avoid talking about when it comes to art.  We should focus on the art, not my sexuality.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

“Isn’t that what plants do?” –An uninformed person.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

If you don’t want to, you don’t have to have a label.  You can be unabashedly you and not take anything from anyone when they tell you otherwise.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

Sometime before the end of 2016, I’ll have released a zine with many other amazing arospec people called “Don’t Talk to Me of Love”.  It’s a collection of poetry, and our first issue focuses on aromantic themes.  Also, in the next year or so, I hope to complete a few songs that I have written throughout the past year and let everyone hear them!  If or when that happens, I’ll be sure to let my followers know on my main blog, short-hair- -don’t-care.

Thank you, Emma, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Aiyana Ruiz

Today we’re joined by Aiyana Ruiz. Aiyana is a phenomenal writer who is currently studying dramatic writing with a focus on playwriting in New York. She’s studying a wide variety of different sorts of writing and is incredibly dedicated to her craft, as you’ll soon read. It’s very apparent that we’ll be seeing much more of this writer in the future. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I am a writer, and I use that as a very broad term. I am currently studying Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, with a concentration (as of now) in playwriting, but that is subject to change within the next year. I’m being cross-trained in writing for stage, television, and film. I love writing for all of the above. My whole life growing up, however, I wrote mostly short stories and poetry. I have been working on a fantasy young adult novel with a queer protagonist for a few years now; school doesn’t leave me much time for personal writing, but that’s okay. I also have a blog where I write weekly (for the most part).

What inspires you?

Everything inspires me! What a crazy question! I am inspired by life. There is so much the world has to offer us if we open our minds. People inspire me. I’m a character-driven writer. I love the things that make people unique and complex and interesting. Everyone has a story and they deserve to be heard.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Let’s get one thing straight. I have never wanted to be an artist. It is simply who I am. I’ve been writing songs, poems, books, stories, plays, etc., ever since I could hold a pen! Ask my mom; she’s seen my less than polished work. I can’t explain it. Something in me has to communicate how I feel and what goes on in my head constantly. And people get tired of hearing me talk, so I turn to the page.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

The only thing I can really tell about my work that links all of it together (because the type of work I do differs so much from piece to piece, and is always evolving) is that there is always a large part of me inside of it. It always deals with a question or conflict going on in my life. That’s the place my stories come from. It sounds selfish, but it’s true.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Do the thing. Whatever your thing is, do it. Make time for it. Don’t let life make you feel like you’re not good enough to make art, or that it’s useless if it doesn’t make you money. If it brings you joy, do it. Make art. Art changes everything. We need more of it in this world. We need more of you in this world.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

For a few years, I have been identifying as asexual and biromantic. I think that is probably still what best describes me, but I tend to use queer or gay as an umbrella term to describe myself since sexuality is so incredibly confusing. It’s possible that I’m closer to being demi, but who knows?

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I think working in specifically dramatic writing has kind of opened my eyes to just how hypersexualized modern media is. I have felt that if my work hasn’t had some sexual component that perhaps it was immature or inferior to my colleagues’ work. I’ve noticed that people tend to assume that sex is really important to everyone, and I know that is not the case, so I try to put as much explicit representation of different sexualities into my work, as a way of educating and perhaps paving the road for future ace spectrum writers as well as characters.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

I’ve heard, “You’ll want to have sex one day,” quite a lot. I know I just got finished saying that sex may not as important to asexual people as to the rest of the world, but the misconception that asexual people are equivalent to celibate people is one of the most annoying. Personally, though I do not experience sexual attraction to any gender, I am not opposed to the idea of having sex. I’m just more indifferent than most. But the thing about this misconception is that it is also offensive to people who don’t want to have sex ever, for any reason. It doesn’t mean they are not mature or grown up enough. It’s a personal preference.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

It’s a struggle. I can’t deny that. In the current world we live in, sex is all around us. In my industry, I know more than anyone. It is glorified and simultaneously shamed. The fact of the matter is that in reality, you aren’t missing out. Sexual attraction is just one part of life. There is so much more to your story that is exciting and important.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

You can follow me on twitter (at) bananaberry626 and read my blog at madhattersbookshelf.weebly.com where I post as much as I can and often discuss both sexuality and writing related things, as well as life in general.

Thanks so much! Keep an eye out for my work in the next few years!

Thank you, Aiyana, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Hayley Thorpe

Today we’re joined by Hayley Thorpe. Hayley is a phenomenal young up and coming writer who has dabbled in many forms of writing. She is incredibly passionate about poetry and has recently embarked on writing a novel. Aside from that, she has written quite a few other things. It’s very apparent that Hayley has the soul of a writer and has a very bright future ahead of her. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I am a writer! For the longest time, I favored poetry, although I did dabble in fiction, creative nonfiction, and script writing in high school. However, this summer, I embarked on the great journey of writing a novel, which has been interesting to say the least. I took a four-year magnet program in high school in Literary Arts. I have won three Honorable Mentions and one Silver Key from The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and have self-published a collection of poetry entitled Heart Sounds.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by my favorite writers (such as Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah, and Billy Collins). I am also inspired by writers with whom I attended school, many of whom are now self-published. I am hugely inspired by music, and the playlist for my current novel includes bands such as The Strokes, Wilco, and The Maine.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I like to say that it’s in my blood. I always loved to read, as did my mother and my maternal grandmother before me, and my paternal great-grandmother loved to memorize and recite poetry. But for me, I met a lot of authors through school events growing up, and I wanted to be the one signing books at a table one day. I wanted to see my books in stores. I did a lot of creative writing in elementary school, but didn’t start enjoying what I produced until middle school. But once I realized how rewarding it was, I never looked back.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I always try to include artists and writers in my works of fiction. Lately, there’s also been a restaurant that is a figment of my own imagination that often pops up in various projects.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Specifically for writers, I would say read everything. Read fiction and poetry and plays, even if those aren’t what you typically write. Read “good” writing and “bad” writing and figure out what makes it “good” and “bad.” Try to do something writing-related every day, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t. Realize that publication isn’t everything.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

Asexual with romantic feelings towards women.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Not as of yet, since I very recently came out as asexual, but I’m hoping for the best!

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

As I said, since I only recently came out, I haven’t encountered many things directed at me, but I think it’s bizarre when people think we can’t feel romantic feelings or that we can never feel sexual attraction. Asexuality, like many orientations, is a spectrum, and each asexual has their own unique feelings and experiences.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Talk to someone. I was really lucky that I had friends who were willing to let me talk through it, and I also had a friend who was experiencing the same confusion I was and asking the same questions. But also realize that at the end of the day, you know yourself the best. Don’t let people put a label on you that you’re not comfortable with, and try to remember that they won’t necessarily have all the answers.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

The purchase link for my book is here: https://amzn.com/0615964389 and you can also preview it there. I’m trying to get a website up, so stay tuned!

Thank you, Hayley, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Denois

Today we’re joined by Denois. Denois is an amazing craft artist who mostly crochets. Aside from crocheting, she also sews, knits, and dabbles in jewelry making. She is also a writer who specializes in flash fiction and other short forms. The images she sent to go along with the interview demonstrate an extraordinarily creative mind. And the cats are too freaking adorable 🙂 My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Bear Hat (Front)

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

Mostly I crochet. Occasionally I will knit, sew, make jewelry and I dabble in fashion design. I have a degree in floral design, but I haven’t done much of that lately because the materials are expensive and the result doesn’t last as long as the others. I also write fiction. I’m currently in the middle of three novels and I’ll write drabbles and flash fics and other short fiction pieces to help build my characters or my universes.

Cat Hat (Front)

What inspires you?

Making people happy. I like to design clothes for people I know to try to fit their style and needs in a way that would make them look their best. I crochet things for family and friends based on their interests.

Cats

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

When I was in pre-K I wanted to be a professional basketball player. But by the time I was in first grade I wanted to be an artist. From about age 10-18 I thought that because I don’t have a lot of skill at drawing that being an artist would never work out for me, but I’d still do some art as a hobby. When I was in my early teens my mother taught me to knit and crochet, but I didn’t do it for very long. Then when I was in college a couple of things changed for me. I did horribly in Molecular Cell Biology (I don’t recommend taking that as a Freshman) so I changed my major to floral design and my sister got pregnant and I decided I’d crochet her a baby afghan. From there I expanded to all of the other things that I do. College is also where the first characters for my first novel showed up in my imagination and wouldn’t leave me alone until I started working on writing stuff down. Sometimes I hope that these things will one day pay the bills, but I haven’t had much luck with that so far.

Gift Set 1

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I don’t really include anything specific intentionally in my work. Maybe because I do so many different things.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Keep trying. Try different media. You might find you are better with one medium than with another and it will let you express yourself. But also, don’t be afraid to keep trying with one you enjoy even if you think that you aren’t “good enough” because practice definitely improves your work. I never practiced drawing enough, but I’ve seen a lot of improvement in my crochet and my ability to make patterns for sewing and crochet.

Gift Set 2

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as asexual. I haven’t always, it took me about 30 years to realize that what I thought was sexual attraction is actually sensual attraction. (That is, I have attraction where I want to cuddle and have non-sexual touching).

Gift Set 3

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I don’t really interact with others in my field other than some groups for sharing patterns and ideas for crochet. However, almost everyone I have ever mentioned asexuality to in person has responded with blank stares or incredulity because they think it doesn’t exist or couldn’t exist because how they feel their sexuality. I would say that out of the fields that I hang around the edges of that fashion design would probably be the most prejudiced or ignorant of asexuality because it has a big push for “make it sexy” and how clients want to feel sexy. I ignore it because, yes some people do, but most people really want to feel comfortable and good first. For some people, feeling sexy makes them feel good. For others feeling good makes them feel sexy. And for yet others, sexy never enters the equation. I tell people that ask that I design to work with people’s favorite features and make them feel confident for the situation the item is for.

Strap

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

That we don’t exist. That everyone knows from a young age who they are attracted to and it’s never a null set. In conjunction with that, that people’s romantic and sensual attractions match their sexual attractions. (I guess that’s not specific to asexuality).

Thor

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Remember you are valid. You are loved (platonically). Platonic affection is as important as romantic or sexual affection. It is okay to identify under the asexual umbrella while you figure out exactly where you belong, or even if you never figure out exactly where you belong. The A is not for Ally.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

I post some writing on my writing blog, writer-denois and I might post pictures of some of my other work there too.

Squirrel

Thank you, Denois, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Emily Pendergraft

Today we’re joined by Emily Pendergraft, who also goes by EmilyParagraph online. Emily is a fantastic writer who has also recently gotten into visual art. For writing, she writes both fiction and poetry. Emily has been dabbling in both traditional and digital mediums. She draws a number of things and has even begun experimenting with comics. Her work shows an incredible imagination and that’s always wonderful to see. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I am a longtime writer, fairly recent visual artist, who works in both traditional and digital art. I write a lot of fiction and some poetry, and I draw mostly illustrations and portraits. Lately I’ve been experimenting with comics.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by all sorts of thing, but I think I really get into creatures. Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and the Muppets were really huge things when I was younger. But I also felt very attracted towards creepy things, and wondered why they were supposed to be scary. I’m also really, really into steampunk.

Sand Watch

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I got into writing when I was nine. I had an awesome teacher that year who showed me how fun creating my own word concoctions could be. I doodled a lot over the years, but never seriously got into drawing until high school when I re-met my best friend, who has drawn her entire life. Since then, I’ve just been practicing and trying all sorts of new things.

Children

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I made my own signature/stamp some time ago. It’s a combination of my username’s (and real name’s) initials. As for any sort of recurring theme, I’m not really sure. I just like drawing and writing about creatures and steampunk.

Speaking of Stars

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

1) If you attempt a long-term project, there will be times when you have to force yourself to push through. It’s tempting to set it aside until inspiration or your Muse strikes again with that awesome rush of productivity, but chances are it’s not going to happen in a timely fashion. So, force your way through. It’s probably not going to be your best work, but to get from point A to point G, you have to go through points B, C, D, E, and F, even if they’re not as interesting.

2) Don’t be afraid to do fan works! If you want to practice a new technique, solidify a style, or just pass the time, fanart and fanfic offer an amazing, low-key, low obligation means of doing so.

Elf Person

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I mostly just say I’m Asexual and be done with it, but I’m more specifically Panromantic Asexual. Although, I’m questioning if I could be demisexual/demiromantic.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I’ve been lucky that I haven’t really encountered much. Mostly just ignorance and an unwillingness to learn more because they think the word “asexual” is self-explanatory. I try to correct where I can, but I’ve mostly kept my sexuality to myself until I know I can trust someone.

TrWi

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

I think the most common one is that asexuals are just nervous virgins. Or that sex can “fix” them and they just don’t know what they’re missing. Another big one is that there’s no spectrum, just aro/ace or not.

Mushroom 1

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

1) You never, ever, EVER have to fake a crush. Just because everyone else is feeling feelings doesn’t mean you’re missing out on something or not caught up to them.

2) Feeling aesthetic attraction does not necessarily mean you’re having a crush.

3) Just because someone admits attraction to you does not mean you have to go out with them. It’s not a “Step 1: someone finds you attractive, Step 2: date!” thing. The steps we’re presented in media are overblown and sped up. Maybe you will go out with this person, maybe not, but you can take it slowly if you’re unsure.

Snouse (Snail Mouse)

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My main blog is right here.

I have a few sites that I house my visual work on:

Deviantart

Art Tumblr

Undertale Comic

Not as much of my writing is online, but I do have some excerpts up on my Weebly site. I also have a Patreon, and I am open for commissions.

Echo Flower

Thank you, Emily, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.